Submitted by Guest Writer Rosanne D’Ausilio, PhD
Consultant, Master Trainer, Customer
Service Expert, Coach & Best Selling Author
To Train or Not to Train: Kicking Your Customer Service Up a Notch
According to a recent survey conducted by Tealeaf, a leading customer experience management company, one key element to surviving an economic downturn is excellent customer service. This is a huge opportunity for companies (like yours) willing to significantly improve their customer service, as this enables you to stand out among your competition.
By providing world class customer service, and listening to what the customer needs and wants, you are more able to satisfy your customer’s needs. This allows you to not only retain the loyalty of existing customers, but through positive word-of-mouth, procure new ones without massive spending on marketing and advertising.
This is vital since these same survey results showed that in the online market in particular, 4 out of 10 people stopped doing all business with a company after just one incidence of poor customer service. A favorite expression of mine (I don’t know who said it) is you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.
Listening is a major component in customer service. I just finished reading A Whole New Mind by Daniel H. Pink. He reports research from twenty years ago when doctor-patient encounters were videotaped. They found that the doctors interrupted their patients after an average of 21 seconds. A more recent study shows that doctors have improved. It’s now 23 seconds before they interrupt.
While we can all probably relate and even chuckle, if we move this to the customer service arena, what happens? Customers don’t get listened to. And what do customers want? What do we all want? To be treated with dignity and respect, and most of all, to be heard.
It isn’t that people don’t want to hear what’s being said. Oftentimes the intentions are good. We want to do our best job in the shortest time possible. What ends up happening is you listen for the pause to jump in and take the person where you think they want to go (which may or may not be accurate). If you’re listening for the pause, you are not listening to the person so you have no idea what they have said and usually they repeat it and actually extend the contact.
In today’s world repetitive, routine, ‘just the facts, ma’am issues can be handled through self service usually efficiently and effectively. Therefore, the more complex, complicated, and accelerated calls are necessitating human contact.
Tools, techniques, common phraseology, and language are just a few requirements for world class customer service.
But are these taught in school? No. These are introduced in customized, live, interactive training sessions delivered in real time. Is this a cost to bear? No. This is about investing in your people. Usually the lowest paid person has the highest responsibility of contact with the current and potential customers. There are KPI (Key Performance Indicators) that can be directly positively impacted by customer service skills training.
What needs to be included? Obviously communication and (pro-active) listening; rapport building, anger diffusion, option offerings, and the like.
After all, we, the people, are who make the difference.
—
For more resources about training, see the Training library.
Rosanne D’Ausilio, PhD
Consultant, Master Trainer, Customer
Service Expert, Coach & Best Selling Author
www.human-technologies.com
www.HumanTechTips.com
www.customer-service-expert.com/report.htm
Subscribe to Rosanne D’Ausilio’s popular tips newsletter at www.HumanTechTips.com
I totally agree and would add one point: good listeners know how they listen (styles/habits) so they can flex their listening style to fit the situation. Of the hundreds of people who have taken our instrument, Hear! Hear? Your Listening Portfolio, a scary % say they never before thought how they listened, let alone if their style was appropriate in given contexts. So imagine how much more effective the listener could be if he knew not only his patterns, but also those of the customer to tailor questions to fit the customer’s interests.
Listening is an important skill, one that is often ignored in favor of getting what we want first. For both customers and customer service reps.
Customer service is all about listening. If a customer service rep can’t listen well, training or a new job is in offing. I am a customer service manager for 5 states and the District of Columbia so I hear from a lot of customers who have been through customer service at the highest level their states and still are not satisfied. I have heard some things (through unsatisfied customers who call me, admittedly) that the reps have said what I couldn’t believe someone in my organization would say–usually to pass the buck. At least, that’s the customer side.
I’ve also heard that the customer didn’t like the answer and gave it lip service before escalating the complaint. It could be they didn’t listen either. Knowing how to listen is a key skill, but being able to prepare the conversation in such a way for both parties to listen and accept what is being said is more important. If someone doesn’t want to listen, you can’t make them. First, you have to clear the way.
Jack, you and I are of a similar view. Clearing the way is often knowing what resonates with customers. My experience with many c.s. and sales people is that they go into a situation blind, or without preparation, as you say.
We recently conducted a workshop for senior sales execs and they were flabbergasted that their listening styles were more about them than about their customers. It was great to see the light bulbs go off and to hear them say maybe they were not connecting with their customers.
What do you do to help your folks set up the situation so it works for all parties?
Marian, unfortunately I can only influence my managers with how I “clear” the way and hope they pass it on. The only power I have over them is charisma because they don’t work for me directly; they have been assigned to work with me. They work for the state; I work for the federal government. Does that make a difference. Of course. It means any change I can achieve has to be accomplished because they are convinced it will work for them. I hope I have made myself respected enough that they listen. I think they do. I had a complaint from central office that “my states” wouldn’t play with them and insisted they work through me. It was a little absurd, if you think of it, because we are always talking about chain of command, but central office wanted direct access and “my people” trusted me to support them as they supported me.”
A long way to get to the real answer of preparing the listener, but in a way I have already answered it. It is important for the listener to feel respected and you do that by being professional, maintaining the attitude that everyone is important, everyone has feelings and you are there to help and not hinder. I prepare my listener for what is about to come, like it or not; they need the rules of engagement. I try to set parameters, but I deal with extremely emotionally people (not my managers in the field). I received a voice mail that some people would ignore because of the intensity and accusatory tone at the end, but I returned the call anyway and began with a calm, “I’m here to help, but the voice mail I received was unwarranted and if this conversation goes the same way we will not talk again. Do you still want my help.” It worked.
It begins and ends with people. You have to have a thick skin, be willing to show empathy, accept what everyone is telling you without question (it’s their reality, not yours), make sure they understand what your role is and assure them you will keep doing what you do to get them to the person who can resolve their issue. I also tell mine where the buck stops and the limits to what I can do in some cases. Sometimes in my business, the only recourse is going to court. I don’t discourage going to the media or elevating the complaint, but I let them know the process.
So, with virtually no real power to change anything, but the power of listening, it is possible to help clients. The people the clients are complaining about are the very people who can help them directly. I can only get them there.
Thanks for elucidating with your thinking.